Jeff Hughes of EDAC Technologies, Rep. Geraldo Reyes, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, and I discussing CT manufacturing

I was happy to welcome hundreds of technical high school and college students to the Capitol for the Student→Manufacturer Connection Fair.

Students met with representatives from Connecticut manufacturing companies across the state who had booths set up on the first floor of the Capitol, providing manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their work and students a chance to explore potential career paths. The fair was presented in partnership with Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, Manufacturing Caucus Chair Sen. Joan Hartley, Rep. Geraldo Reyes, and the Connecticut Technical High School System (CTHSS).

My goal was to connect students with local manufacturers to give them a sense of all the opportunities available in this industry, and that’s what we saw that happening here today. We need students and their parents to understand that manufacturing offers skilled, well-paying careers with room for growth. Connecticut’s manufacturing industry is thriving, and our job as legislators is to continue reinforcing the school-to-career pipeline. I’d like to thank all of the manufacturers who joined us today and the Connecticut Technical High School System for making this happen.